Sophie
by silent-five
Summary: A series of plotless bits of fluff based around Troyella's first child. 6 of ? parts up.
1. Happy Birthday

**TITLE: **Sophie

**AUTHOR: **Jessa

**RATING/GENRE: **PG/Romance, Fluff

**FANDOM/PAIRING: **High School Musical/Troy and Gabriella

**SUMMARY: **Troy and Gabriella's daughter is turning one! Just a sweet little plotless one-shot.

* * *

Sophie Bolton was one year old today and her parents couldn't have been more proud. Their daughter was one of the most beautiful babies on the planet, at least that's what everyone who met her said. She had inherited most of her mother's gorgeous and exotic features, including her wavy black hair and smooth golden complexion. The most notable thing about her, however, she'd gotten from her father. Her ice blue eyes stood out in stark contrast to her skin and hair. They constantly blinked with curiousity and innocence, looking almost too adorable. Her parents found it hard to deny her much of anything, especially her father. 

Gabriella had pulled out all the stops for her birthday party, not seeming to care that at one Sophie didn't really have any friends as such. All of the family friends and their children had been invited. Gabriella had spent the entire day cooking and decorating, sending Troy out to get things every two seconds, not that he minded. He was happy to help. It was also his job to look after Sophie for most of the day while Gabriella zoomed around the house at hyper speed. Whenever she passed them, she'd quickly lay a kiss on each of their cheeks and make Sophie giggle in her father's arms.

"She's just a little crazy," Troy murmured to her at one point, kissing her cheek in the same spot that Gabriella had.

"I heard that!" Gabriella called from the kitchen.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Troy replied, escaping to the backyard with Sophie while Gabriella put the finishing touches on her daughter's homeade birthday cake. He was trying to teach her to play basketball. So far he was having surprising success.

"You're gonna be a star one day," he told Sophie after she made a basket in her little kiddie net, with some help from him of course. As usual she just giggled. She reminded Troy so much of Gabriella whenever she did that. It always made him smile.

Gabriella actually paused in her party preparations to dress Sophie up in an outfit she'd purchased specifically for the occasion. It was a simple little sky blue dress that matched her eyes perfectly. Her feet were slipped into tiny white shoes with bows on them. Gabriella left her short ebony waves alone, pinning back her bangs on one side with a white clip.

Fluffing out Sophie's dress, Gabriella began to get emotional. "You look so beautiful," she told her daughter. "Before you know it you'll be dressing yourself for dates." Sophie's head cocked to the side and she reached out to run her small hand over Gabriella's cheek, as if she could sense that her mother needed some kind of comfort even if she couldn't really understand why.

Troy appeared at the door, leaning on the frame and observing the entire scene with a grin planted firmly on his face.

"Gabi, honey" he said. "She just turned one. I don't think we have to worry about that just yet." Although in the back of his mind, Troy was already dreaming up tactics for grilling teenage boys about their intentions with his little girl.

"The guests will be coming soon," Gabriella said, rising and scooping Sophie up in her arms and handing her over to Troy. "I have to put out more chips." She scurried down the stairs and Troy followed in her wake, amused.

Before long, the Bolton household was crowded with familiar faces. It seemed as though Gabriella had invited absolutely everyone they knew. She flitted about from person to person, greeting them with hugs and smiles. Sophie kept getting stolen from her parents by various relatives and close friends.

Troy took the opportunity to catch Gabriella, who at some point had escaped to the kitchen to make sure that the cake was ready to make it's appearance, alone for the first time all day.

He approached her from behind, wrapping his hands around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Hello beautiful," he whispered. She relaxed into his arms, laying her hands over his.

"Where's Sophie?" Gabriella asked.

"With your mother, last I saw," Troy replied, pressing a few kisses to her jaw. He felt Gabriella release a breath and asked, "What's up?"

"This just feels so crazy. I mean, our daughter is one. It seems like just yesterday I found out we were going to have a daughter," she said, her gaze flickering over her shoulder to try and catch Troy's expression.

"I know," Troy said. "It's so amazing, I don't want it to be happening so fast. I want to appreciate every second of it."

"Exactly," Gabriella replied, relieved that she wasn't being ridiculous.

"Man," Troy said, suddenly chuckling.

Gabriella glanced at him curiously. "What?"

"I can't wait to see what kind of wrecks we'll be when she has to leave for college," he said, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh God, I don't even want to think about that," Gabriella said. She was laughing now too.

Troy gently turned her around in his arms, looking her straight in the face. "So let's just think about today."

Gabriella nodded, leaning her forehead against his. "I like the sound of that," she responded. They shared a brief kiss that was no less passionate than any other kiss they'd ever shared before Gabriella broke it off. "It's cake time!" she said in defense when Troy began to whine. She appeased him with a peck on the cheek and went about her business, lighting the large candle on top of the cake. It was sparkly and in the shape of a one.

Troy carried it into the dining room, beginning to birthday song while Gabriella shut out the lights and got her digital camera ready. The sheer volume of the guest's singing was astonishing. To the delight of many, Sophie starting bouncing up and down in her high chair at the sight of the rather large cake. She also tried to join them in singing "Happy Birthday" but obviously didn't know the words or melody so it sounded like a lot of gibberish. Troy set down the cake in front of her, stopping her hands just in time to prevent them from delving right into the side of the cake. He also helped her blow out the candle and everyone clapped. Gabriella snapped about a hundred pictures in the span of two minutes.

Cake was distributed at a rapid pace, everyone eager to taste the masterpiece. It tasted just as good as it looked. Sophie loved it but got more of it on her face than actually in her mouth. Troy was certain that Gabriella didn't eat any of her cake; she was too busy fussing over Sophie and making sure that everyone else got a piece. He made sure to set one aside so she could eat it later, after she'd settled down a bit.

Like any proper human being, Sophie especially enjoyed opening her presents. She ooh-ed and aah-ed over the pretty wrapping and bows before Troy helped her rip it off. She seemed to enjoy that part even more, perhaps even a little too much. Because Sophie could only speak a few random words and phrases, Gabriella thanked everyone who'd given her daughter a gift. At the end of the day, Sophie had gotten many nice things, ranging from clothing to toys to books. Her parents' present was saved for last. After some debate, Gabriella caved and agreed to get her a brand new stroller. It was blue and sparkly. Troy had seen it at the mall and knew he just had to have it for his daughter, although the one they had was in perfect shape. Sophie's eyes went wide when she saw it; she was mezmerized by the way the sparkles caught in the evening sun.

Gabriella leaned against Troy and he slipped his arms around her waist. "You were right. It's perfect," she whispered.

"Aren't I always?" he questioned teasingly.

By the time all the guests had cleared out, the Bolton's house looked as though a hurricane had passed through it. There were streamers and wrapping paper everywhere. Paper plates littered every surface and discarded party hats were hidden in the most peculiar places; they'd most likely be finding them for weeks. Troy offered to start cleaning up while Gabriella put Sophie, whose eyes kept falling shut from the exhaustion of the day's excitement, to bed.

"You're amazing," Gabriella said, placing a sweet kiss on his lips. He shrugged as if to say 'it's nothing' and kissed his daughter on the head, ruffling her hair a bit after he pulled away.

"Night sweetie," he said quietly. She cooed in Gabriella's arms, snuggling into her mother's shoulder. Gabriella smiled warmly down at her.

"Awww, you're tired, aren't you, cutie?" she said, bouncing Sophie very slightly. "Bedtime for you."

Gabriella made her way to the stairs and Troy watched them until they dissapeared into the upstairs hall.

Sighing, he looked around his messy living room. "One down," he said to himself, snatching up a garbage bag and beginning the long process of tidying up.

* * *

**THE END.**

* * *

Don't you just love fics with absolutely no purpose except to make you squee? Yeah, those are my favorite kind. I hope you liked this little number, even if nothing really happened. 


	2. Sophie

**TITLE:** Sophie: Chapter 2/?

**AUTHOR:** Jessa

**RATING / GENRE:** PG / Romance, Fluff

**FANDOM / PAIRING:** High School Musical / Troy and Gabriella

**SUMMARY:** Troy and Gabriella's first daughter is born.

**DISCLAIMER:** Troy, Gabriella and everything East Highish is (c)Disney.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is dedicated to **HSMgirl102**, who cared enough about this fic to ask for more. Sorry it took so long but here it finally is for you! I'm glad you enjoyed the first part and hopefully you'll like this one just as much. I actually had a ton of fun writing it. :)

* * *

_Dear lord_, Troy thought as he paced next to Gabriella's hospital bed. He'd been there for about five hours now, and things weren't moving along any quicker. All through his wife's pregnancy, he'd been anticipating this moment, okay, this day, with every fibre of his being. Now that it was here, he was feeling a tad overwhelmed. Not to mention that fact that every so often Gabriella would let loose a cry of pain that broke his heart. 

Sure, he was painfully excited for the arrival of his first child but obviously there was a lot to be nervous about as well. What if he wasn't a good father? He'd never really been around babies before, seeing that he was an only child, so what made him think for a second that he could care for one?

"Troy?"

Gabriella's soft voice brought him effectively from his reverie.

"What is it, sweetie?" he asked, immediately at her side, taking one of her hands in his.

"Why the hell is this taking so long!?" she burst out as she was clearly racked with another contraction. Troy jumped slightly but tried very hard to show as little of a reaction as possible. Gabriella was usually a very patient, understanding person but he couldn't deny her grumpiness now. Labour did **not** look fun.

He cleared his throat and used his thumb to rub soothing circles on the back of her hand. "Nature's miracle?" he offered with a pathetic grin, one that she would hopefully find funny.

She looked torn between laughing at her husband's lameness and crying from the pain. Thankfully, she giggled softly and Troy relaxed.

"I'm really glad you're here," she said suddenly, smiling a smile that Troy had been missing for the past seven hours.

He shrugged and joked,"Well, I was going to play some basketball with the guys, but I figured this was more important."

"I'm serious!" she said though her smile didn't fade. "Thanks for sticking with me on this. I know pregnancy isn't fun. Some guys wouldn't have put up with me." Gabriella lovingly brushed Troy's long bangs aside so she could look more properly into his eyes.

"Come on! You were amazing. I can't imagine how uncomfortable you must have been sometimes and now you've got to actually have the baby. My baby," Troy said incredulously. "I should be kissing your feet."

Gabriella laughed, shaking her head. "You could, but I wouldn't recommend it. I might end up kicking you in the face by accident when the next contraction hit."

"Speak of the devil," Troy said sympathetically when, for the millionth time, Gabriella's grimaced and clutched her swollen belly. He laid hand over hers on her stomach as he watched his wife's pain helplessly. Eager to get her mind off of it, he thought of a good way to distract her.

The solution came to him not a moment too soon as another one swept over her. They were coming much quicker now. "So," he began. "I know we talked about it, but we still haven't really decided on a name."

Gabriella gratefully jumped on the distraction. "Right. Yes," she replied, looking thoughtful. "I was thinking maybe Hope or Brooke?" she offered. Troy's eyebrow rose.

"Is this our life or 'Days of Our Lives'?" he quipped. Gabriella scowled.

"Fine then, brainiac. You go," she retorted, her aggrevation incensed by another contraction. "And just for the record, you know I don't watch soap operas."

Chuckling, Troy said,"Uh huh. So, what was that you turned off when I walked in the door the other day? Discovery channel? Porn?"

Gabriella blushed pink but soon recovered, recalling where the whole conversation had stemmed from. "It's your turn," she reminded him cooly before more sharp pains made her forget why she was mad.

Troy plunked down on the edge of the bed, his hand still covering Gabriella's. "What about Jamie or Sarah?" he said. Gabriella hesitated, her nose scrunching up with distaste.

"They're a bit plain. Don't you want our daughter to have a name as beautiful as she is?" she asked him innocently. Troy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

They sit in silence for a moment, barring the few seconds that Gabriella hissed from the pain of a contraction, just mulling it over in their heads.

Finally, Gabriella broke it by saying,"You know, I can't really decide on a name until we've seen her. How will we know what suits her if we don't know what she's like?"

Troy absorbed this and found that he really agreed with her. He nodded. "We should wait."

"Hopefully we won't have to wait for much **longer**," she responded, the word 'longer' coming out strained as she repressed the urge to cry out. Troy ignored the death grip she had on his hand as best he could.

* * *

Another five nerve-wracking hours later, Gabriella was finally ready to give birth. Troy was exhausted, though not half as much as Gabriella, and very eager to catch the first glimpse of his daughter. All uncertainty he'd been feeling earlier was pushed aside to make way for the enormous amount of excitement that was now snowballing inside of him. 

He knelt at his wife's bedside and pushed back her glossy black bang from her sweaty forehead. Over her agonized groaning, he talked softly into her ear. "Come on, honey. You can do this," he said. She nodded violently, as if really trying to believe what he was telling her.

"I can... do this," she disjointedly repeated, breathing in and out sharply like they'd taught her and Troy in their lamaze classes.

"Damn right you can," he replied, smiling encouragingly. "That's good, baby. Just breathe."

By this time, the doctor was in position and ready to deliver their baby. "Now Mrs. Bolton, you're going to have to push," he informed her calmly.

She nodded again and braced herself for the pain. Her eyes squeezed shut as she pushed and tried to keep breathing at the same time. Troy wished so badly there was something he could do to make things easier for her, but all her could really do was be there for her. That would have to be enough.

"You're doing great, Mrs. Bolton," the doctor said a couple minutes, and several pushes, later. "Just a few more pushes and you're done."

Gabriella whined but built herself up to push again, clinging desperately to Troy's willing arm. He didn't think he'd ever be desensitized to her loud yelps.

She pushed again and loud crying filled the room. Their baby's head was free.

"One more time," the doctor said. She looked ready to kill him for being so calm.

Troy kissed her hand and said,"Just one more, Gabs. And then we'll have our beautiful baby girl."

She stared into his eyes for a second, letting his happiness pour into her. Newly motivated, she gave the last push all she had.

"There we go," the doctor said, lifting up their daughter. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. You have a healthy baby girl."

Troy let loose a sharp laugh of joy and disbelief as Gabriella fell back against the pillows, grinning madly.

"Would you like to cut the imbilecle chord?" one of the nurses asked Troy. He took the scissors from her with delight and cut the chord, gazing in wonder at his daughter.

He felt a great sense on loss when she was whisked away to get cleaned up and dressed.

"We're parents!" he exclaimed giddily to Gabriella when they were alone again. His haggard looking wife managed to smile every bit as brightly as usual.

"I know. She's so gorgeous," she replied proudly. Troy nodded emphatically.

"She looks just like you," he said. Gabriella giggled, now in much higher spirits that the worst was over.

She moved over to make room for him on the bed beside her and said,"You saw her for less than a minute. How could you possibly tell?"

"Please. She's like a minature you," he told her, laying back next to her so that she could snuggle up into him. He put his arms around her, not realizing until now how long it had been since he'd had the opportunity. Over ten hours which, in his opinion, was far too long.

They laid in silence for a little while, the tiredness they'd both been holding at bay finally catching up to them. Still, they found the energy to sit up as soon as a nurse brought their daughter back into the hospital room.

"She's fast asleep. Would you like to hold her, Mrs. Bolton?" As if she needed to ask. Gabriella held her arms out immediately and the nurse passed her over.

She lingered at the foot of the bed breifly, taking in the sight of the happy new family before taking her leave.

Troy and Gabriella stared down at their sleeping baby together, both amazed at how perfect she was. Gabriella saw that Troy was right; she was the spitting image of her mother. Her skin was golden and smooth and a fairly thick layer of black hair covered her tiny head.

Troy leaned down to kiss her on the head, also laying a sweet kiss on Gabriella's cheek. "My two gorgeous girls," he whispered. Gabriella beamed and leaned in for a short but proper kiss.

"We still don't have a name for her," she reminded him after pulling away.

They both just stared at the baby for a while, trying to come up with a suitable name for her. Troy felt as though no name would do her justice, but maybe he was just being biased.

"What do you think of the name Sophie?" Gabriella asked him suddenly.

Troy blinked. "I think it's absolutely perfect," he said. "Where'd it come from?"

Gabriella paused and said,"I don't know. It just kind of came to me."

"Sophie..." he said, testing it out. "Yep, that's the name for our daughter."

"Whew, that was easier than I was expecting it to be," she replied.

Laughing, Troy said,"I'm not that hard to get along with, am I?"

Gabriella reached up to run a hand along his jaw. "Not at all."

He smiled at her and bent his head to kiss her again, feeling that nothing else would express how he felt about his wife in that moment.

"I love you, Troy," she told him.

"I love you too."

* * *

**THE END.**

* * *

**AN 2: **Yeah, so again I find myself letting people know I'm not dead. It just takes me forever to write stuff. For those of you who are into it, I'm working on the second part to my fic 'All of the Above'. It should be up sometime in the not too distant future. Loves! 


	3. Charlotte

**TITLE:** Sophie (Fic Three in a Series)

**AUTHOR:** Jessa

**RATING / GENRE:** K / Romance, Family, Plotless Fluff to the maxx

**FANDOM / PAIRING:** High School Musical / Troy&Gabriella

**SUMMARY:** The Boltons are experiencing a time of many changes.

**DISCLAIMER:** Troy and Gabriella are the property of good ol' Walt Disney. The only thing I made up is little Sophie Bolton... and the plot, of course.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Sorry if these are very boring and confusing because they're kind of all over the place. I just really love writing parts in this series. I've had this part done for ages but for some reason I never posted it. There's another chapter well on it's way to being done as well so stay tuned!

* * *

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled from their new living room. The fact that everything they owned was in boxes in the foyer of the house they'd just purchased caused her voice to echo. Her husband came darting into the room with their beloved daughter in his arms. He was playing what he called 'the airplane game' with her. The game involved him lifting Sophie high above his head and twirling her around while he made the appropriate noises. It gave Gabriella a minor heart attack every time she witnessed it. 

He paused briefly in his engine noises to ask, "Yes dear?" Troy had a habit of using the term 'dear' in a teasing manner.

"Could you please put our little girl down before she bangs her head on something?" she requested.

"I dont want down, Mama!" the three year old Sophie protested. She started imitating airplane noises like her father and flapping her arms. Troy laughed.

"It's okay, Soph," he said as he put her back on her feet. He lowered his voice to a stage whisper and said, purposely loud enough for Gabriella to hear, "We'll play later when Mommy's busy reading her book."

"The only thing I'm going to be busy doing is unpacking," Gabriella sighed, glancing at the mess of newpaper and boxes.

"Awww, that's why you married me. To do all the hard stuff for you," Troy said, coming up next to her and slipping his arm around her waist. Sophie followed him, clinging to his pant leg. He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Besides you should be taking it easy."

His hand left Sophie's head and came to rest on Gabriella's slightly swollen stomach.

"But there's so much to do--" she began. Troy cut her off by placing a finger gently to her lips.

"Let me worry about it. We have food in the fridge and our beds are made up; the rest can be taken a little slower," he assured her.

Gabriella rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Men. All they think about is eating and sleeping."

"And don't forget sports!" Troy contributed, giving her a peck on the cheek.

Gabriella giggled and replied, "Ah, the complex mind of Mr. Troy Bolton."

"Hey! That's your husband you're mocking there," Troy said, huffing with feigned offense.

Sophie was shaking with giggles that were identical to her mother's. "Silly Daddy."

Gabriella smiled at her daughter and leaned down to pick her up, careful to hold her in such a way so that Sophie wasn't squishing her stomach. She nuzzled her nose against Sophie's and said, "That's right. He is silly, isn't he?" Sophie nodded and squealed delightedly.

Troy pouted. "Look at you two, ganging up on me. I can imagine how much worse it'll be when the littlest Bolton arrives. I'm going to be way out numbered."

"Don't worry, honey. I'm sure Sophie will always be your partner in crime," Gabriella said sympathetically, passing Sophie over to her father. He bounced her high up in the air and kissed the tip of her nose before holding her against his chest. She balled her fists around bits of his polo shirt and buried her face in it. Troy and Gabriella watched her for a moment while she started to drift off, her grip on his shirt lessening.

"I think it's someone's naptime," Troy whispered, craning his neck to kiss Sophie's wavy black hair.

"Will Daddy read me Char-Char's Web?" Sophie asked though a yawn. As she was only three, she had trouble pronouncing the name 'Charlotte'.

Troy rubbed her back soothingly and replied, "Of course, blue eyes."

"Troy..." Gabriella said suddenly. "That's it!"

Troy's focus shifted to his wife as he stared at her in confusion. "What's it?"

"We should name the baby Charlotte! Please?" she begged, locking her irresistable brown eyes into his. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before..."

"I think it's beautiful," Troy replied, beaming. "I bet Sophie would like that too, wouldn't you, Soph?"

Sophie nodded empathically and said, "Char-Char's real nice." She was referring, of course, to the fictional spider in her favorite book, _Charlotte's Web_.

"It's settled then. Your new baby sister's name is going to be Charlotte," he told her. She clapped excitedly.

"Will Char-Char be here soon?" Sophie asked her parents hopefully, her blue eyes wide.

Gabriella glanced at her stomach and said, "Soon enough, sweetie."

Seemingly satisfied, Sophie made herself comfortable against Troy's chest once again. Troy let his wife know he was going to put her down for her nap by tilting his head towards the stairs. Gabriella gave them both a loving kiss, Sophie on her head and Troy on the lips, before letting them go and returning to her box of kitchenware.

* * *

"How's Sophie?" Gabriella asked without looking up when she heard footfalls on the stairs. 

Troy wound his way around the towers of cardboard towards her and replied, "She's out like a light. We're set for an hour or two, at least."

She set the glass she'd been unwrapping down on the marble countertop. "Is that so?" she purred. He sidled up in front of her and enclosed her waist in his arms. Her arms twisted around his neck, fingers playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck. Their faces were scant inches apart. Their lips had just brushed when Gabriella made a little squeal of surprise. Troy pulled back a bit and eyed her curiously.

"Charlotte just kicked!" she exclaimed delightedly, her hand leaving his neck and exploring her stomach for their baby. Troy did the same, grinning madly when he felt the force of a tiny foot beneath his palm.

"Come here," he said with an air of mischief. Gabriella let him pull her over to their large green couch and waited while he removed all the boxes from the cushions. On his instruction, she sank down into the comfy new piece of furniture.

"What're you--?" she began but he shushed her and sat down. Hunkering down so he could put his face close to Gabriella's belly, Troy began to softly sing.

_Here comes the sun, doot in doo doo, here comes the sun,  
And I say it's all right _

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter  
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here  
Here comes the sun, doot in doo doo, here comes the sun  
And I say it's all right 

Gabriella's eyes widened when their baby began to kick more violently. Without interrupting the flow of the melody Troy's voice was creating, she placed his hand where he could feel it too. He smiled through his song.

_Little darling, the smile's returning to the faces  
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun  
And I say it's all right_

For the bridge, Gabriella added a little bit of harmony to the mix. Although she and Troy hadn't sung together in quite a while, the same spark that had brought them together in the first place was still present. They both felt it.

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...  
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes..._

By the time their voices had faded, Troy had risen enough so that they were face to face. Once again, their lips were only inches apart. Troy's eyes flickered down to Gabriella's mouth and then back to her own brown eyes before he closed the distance.

They'd only just begun kissing when their front door flew open and they sprang apart.

"Heeeello Boltons!" Chad sang out from the entryway.

Burying his face into the crook of Gabriella's neck, Troy whimpered. "It never fails. We're married! You'd think the powers that be would give us a break..."

Distangling herself from her husband, Gabriella stood up. With a glint of determination and revenge in her eyes that would have made the most devious of villans cringe, she barrelled out to where Chad was happily chattering away.

"I don't mean to be rude, Danforth, but bye!" she said, using surprising strength to push Chad right back out the door. The expression on his face as she shut the door in it was comical. "You're welcome to come back later!" she called through the pane of stained glass.

By this time, Troy had joined her in the hall and she turned to face him, grabbing his arms and placing them on her waist. He was grinning, half turned-on and half terrified.

"Now, where were we...?"

* * *


	4. Without You, I'm Nothing

**TITLE:** Sophie (4/?)  
**AUTHOR:** Jessa  
**RATING / GENRE:** K / Romance, Family  
**FANDOM / PAIRING:** High School Musical / Troy&Gabriella  
**SUMMARY:** Troy's demanding job as a surgeon starts to get in the way of what matters to him most.  
**DISCLAIMER:** Troy and Gabriella are the property of good ol' Walt Disney. The only thing I made up is little Sophie Bolton.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** H'oh me gee! This one actually has some angst and a smidgen of a plot! Who knew I was capable of it?

**ps** -- Shout out to Charli! Just cause I can, haha.

* * *

"How many more times am I gonna have to say I'm sorry?!" Troy exclaimed, midway through shoving his leg into his flannel pajama pants. Gabriella simply glared at him as she fluffed up her pillow and threw it back into place at the head of their king-sized mattress. "Come on, Gabi. I've said it about a million times!" 

Her eyes squeezed shut and she inhaled deeply as a way to keep herself calm. "Troy," she began, her voice strained with repressed anger. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"I already told Soph I was sorry and she seemed fine with it! You're the only one still hung up on the whole issue!" he responded.

"She's six! And she absolutely adores you no matter what you do. No matter if you just so happen to forget to pick her up from swimming... again. Then there was her art class last week and _then_ there was Charlotte's first day of pre-school and Sophie's parent-teacher night that you were too busy to attend the week before that!" He looked prepared to defend himself but Gabriella wasn't quite done. "These are our children, Troy! So, I'm sorry if I'm still a little 'hung up on the whole issue'!" She'd finally had enough of her husband's recently lackluster attitude towards parenting. Though in her heart she knew that he loved their two daughters to death, she couldn't ignore his behavior. It wasn't fair to the girls who needed a father they could depend on.

"I'm a surgeon, Gabriella. Lives depend on me being avaliable to work!" Troy argued. "I'm sorry about missing all that, I really am, but it's not my fault that the hospital's been so hectic lately!"

After fighting back frustrated tears that had been threatening to fall, Gabriella said, "Sorry's just not good enough anymore. You either want to be a part of this family or you don't. Take your pick."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Troy replied, breathless. The thought of not being with his wife and kids every day was staggering.

"I'm not saying anything else tonight. Why don't you think it over downstairs on the couch," she said. Her voice was soft but cold enough to give Troy the chills. He couldn't look at her; all he could do was grab the pillow from his side of the bed and stumble down the stairs to the couch in their family room.

From downstairs, Troy couldn't hear Gabriella's muffled sobs as she held her pillow tightly and unwillingly imagined what life would be like without the man she loved so much.

* * *

Sophie Bolton awoke to the unhappy sound of her mother crying. This wasn't the first night that Gabriella had woken her daughter, although she had no idea. Sophie was very intelligent for her age; she knew what was going on between her mom and dad, no matter how hard they tried to shield her and her sister from it. Whenever her father forgot to do something, her mother would get very quiet and grouchy. By the time he did come home, her mother was always waiting to yell at him. Sometimes they yelled for what seemed like forever to the young girl. She would try to distract three year-old Charlotte, who only ever wanted to cry when their parents fought. 

Sitting upright in her comfy bed, covered in blue dolphin bed sheets, Sophie perked up her ears and listened to her dad slowly making his way down the stairs. She knew from experience that in the morning, she would find him asleep on the couch... alone. Her lower lip trembled at the thought and her wide blue eyes -- identical to her father's -- welled up. At only six years of age, even Sophie Bolton knew what would happen to her family if this went on much longer. She couldn't let her mommy and daddy do this to themselves. Wiping her eyes with her small fist, she snatched up her trusty toy rabbit, Sir Snuffles, and quietly slipped from the room.

* * *

Troy knew he wouldn't catch one wink of sleep that night. Even now, only moments after fighting with Gabriella, his whole body burned with guilt. He had no right to speak to her like he had, regardless of what she said. She was right. As much as he hated to admit it, not because he had a problem with being wrong but because it meant that he was a bad father and a terrible husband, Gabriella was right. The way he'd been acting lately, his frequent absences from home, he couldn't blame her for thinking that he had no desire to be a part of their family. 

Slumped deep into the couch, and equally as deep in thought, Troy didn't notice his eldest daughter had entered the room until she spoke.

"Daddy?" she sniffed. It was obvious that with her fleece rabbit clutched close to her chest, she was holding back tears and that made Troy's heart break all the more. It felt as though his chest was being torn apart. What kind of a father made his little girl cry?

"What are you doing up, blue eyes?" he asked, holding out his arms and desperately hoping she'd leap into them like she normally did. Somewhere just beneath the surface, he now harbored a fear that like with Gabriella, he had cultivated a gap between them. She didn't answer his question, besides making another brave sniffle, but she did climb onto his lap so that he could wrap his strong arms around she and her toy bunny.

"Daddy..." Sophie began; Troy waited patiently for what would come after, rocking their bodies back and forth in a soothing movement that he knew his daughter loved. It reminded her of the ocean. "Are you and mommy... gonna... are you... gonna get a divorce?" she finished in a tiny voice, as if she were afraid to ask the question because she was frightened to death of the answer.

Troy was shocked, first of all, that his six year-old actually knew what a divorce was, but hearing it "out of the mouths of babes", so the speak, really hit home. For the first time he could really see how much his late nights at the hospital were hurting the people he cared about most in the world. His heart rate sped up, pumping oxygen rapidly around his body. It made his head spin. The fact that Gabriella could really get fed up and leave him, taking Sophie and Charlotte along with her, suddenly became very real to him.

"I hope not," he said, trying to keep his voice steady when he was so close to breaking down. "But just remember that whatever happens, we will both be there for you whenever you need us." Troy wished he could offer her a more solid answer but he really wasn't sure himself. God only knew what Gabriella was thinking at that very moment, after he'd been such an insensitive jerk. What if she really wanted a divorce? Troy's stomach churned uncomfortably; he felt as though he might be sick.

"Don't you love each other anymore?" Sophie questioned. The innocence in her simple question resonated throughout the room.

Troy cradled her head against his chest and murmured, "You wouldn't believe how much I love your mom. When I think that we might not be together anymore, I feel like I can't breathe."

Ever a surprise and a miracle, Sophie shocked him yet again with wisdom beyond her young years. "I can believe it, daddy. When you and mommy fight it feels like I'm trying to hold my breath for too long in the pool." She finally broke with the last strains of her heartbreaking confession and Troy could feel her little tears soak through the thin cotton of his t-shirt.

"Please don't cry, Angelfish," he pleaded, using his large thumb to dry his daughter's cheeks. It was all he could do not to cry himself. "I'm going to fix this."

'For both of us.'

* * *

"Gabi?" 

Gabriella's entire body tensed up under the comforter covering her and Troy's bed when she heard him whisper her name from the dark doorway. Hastily she wiped away the evidence of her sobbing and sat up, thankful that the lights were off because she knew that she most definitely looked like crap. How funny it was that even though she was furious with him, she still cared what Troy thought.

"What do you want, Troy?" she asked, attempting to be harsh but not quite succeeding the way she would have liked.

"I'm sorry, honey," he started to say, only to be immediately interrupted.

"I already told you that wasn't going to help!" she hissed, diving back underneath the heavy covers. She felt rather than saw him take a seat on the edge of their bed as her head was buried beneath the blanket.

"I wasn't finished," he told her. She was surprised to find no trace of the usual defensiveness in his voice. The regret she heard in it's stead gave her pause.

"Continue," she conceded after a few seconds, praying that this conversation wouldn't end with them shouting again.

After a nervous intake of breath, Troy did just that. "You're so right, Gabriella. These past few months I've been... distant." He ignored the incredulous snort from 1000 leagues beneath the burgundy comforter, too eager to get what he had to say out. "But I really didn't mean for things to get like this. It just happened." The silence in the room as he paused for another big breath was almost deafening; he knew he really had Gabriella's attention. "It kills me to see what we've become, what our relationship has been reduced to. I can't stand it anymore. Things can't stay like this or it'll kill us both -- not to mention the girls."

"Oh God..." Gabriella choked out, fearing the worst. Had he chosen that quickly to give up everything they'd worked so hard to build? She didn't want it to end this way; she figured out then that she didn't want it to end at all, regardless of what she'd said earlier. "Troy. Please don't do this. It's been tough, yeah, but isn't that how love is supposed to be?" Finally, in her desperation, she found the courage to lift the blanket off and stare intently at the man beside her. It was difficult to make out his expression in the darkness.

"What? You think that I --?" Troy stared straight back -- judging from his tone -- confused as hell. "Gabriella, no! Don't you think for a second that I would just up and leave you and our kids!" He sounded appalled at the very notion.

"You haven't really given me a reason not to, Troy. Not lately anyways," she replied, without venom or accusation.

"Again, you're right. It's scaring the hell out of me, but you're right." Another deep breath. "I want things to change. I don't want to be fighting with you all the time, or ever if I can help it. I don't care if I have to quit my job for that to happen."

"Look. I said some pretty cruel things to you tonight too, so I'm not totally blameless. But when we got married, I promised to hold out through the good and the bad and that rings true today as much as it did then. The only thing is... I can't do that alone," she said calmly, feeling more like herself as her pulse ceased it's erratic behavior. Troy took her hand and held it to his heart. She could feel it beating steadily in his chest and somehow it made her feel a whole world closer to him. That small gesture made her feel more attuned to her husband than she had in months.

"I promise you that I won't give up on this. I love you too much for that, Gabs. I don't think I could ever leave you."

"Not even for that sexy blond nurse that works on your floor?" she replied, her eyes misting over again as she began to believe that everything really was going to be okay.

Troy chuckled at her feeble joke, pulled her into his arms and slid both their bodies up the bed so that he could lean against the headboard with her sprawled out over him. How could he have forgotten how well their bodies seemed to fit together? "Yeah right. I don't like blondes; never have."

"Oh really? I thought all guys liked hot blondes."

"Naw, I go more for much hotter, exotic brunette types," he countered with a smirk as he ran his fingers through the brown hair in question.

"I hear they're better in bed," Gabriella replied cheekily. Troy laughed fully this time; Gabriella could feel the welcome vibrations from where her head still laid on his chest.

"The very best," he agreed.

Silence overtook the room once more as it's two occupants drifted off, beyond relieved to be back in each other's arms.

* * *

_'How can someone be better in bed?'_ Sophie thought to herself as she finally crawled back into her own bed. _'It's not that hard to be in bed...'_

Normally, her inquisitive mind would have picked the subject apart to procure a suitable answer, but tonight she decided to store her questions away so she could quiz one of her parents in the morning. With only a single yawn, Sophie Bolton slipped straight off to sleep with Sir Snuffles right beside her and not a care in the world.


	5. Department Store Disaster

**This fic is kind of short but hopefully sweet! This series is what I write for when I want to de-stress, haha. The idea just came to me so here it isss, all written out and everything! **

* * *

"You can't be serious, Gabriella," Troy muttered incredulously, earning him a frigid glare from his wife. The pair were in the middle of a colossal department store -- and had been for most of the morning -- sizing up living room and dining room furniture. Sophie, their three year-old daughter, was keeping herself busy, darting around Troy's legs while he absentmindedly reached down to her.

"And why not?"

"Well, just look at it. It's brand new and yet it looks like a reject from an antique store," he replied while staring dubiously at the end tables Gabriella seemed intent on having. "How does that even happen?"

She crossed her arms above her rounded belly, which was carrying Troy's second daughter, and patiently explained, "It's a distressed finish. It's _supposed_ to look like that."

"If you say so," Troy said with an air of aloofness that was quickly making Gabriella's patience a thing of the past. "All I'm saying is, we could probably find this stuff on the side of the road somewhere and guess what... then it wouldn't cost us a million dollars!"

"Don't be such a drama queen. I think it's gorgeous," Gabriella responded, admiring the furnishing with an expression of deepest longing. "Pleeease, Troy?" she begged. For added effect, she threw in her signature pout; the one that had the handy ability to render Troy powerless. Foolishly, he tried to resist but before long, the exasperated sigh Gabriella had been holding out for blew past his lips.

"Fine."

Gabriella beamed in triumph and turned to her husband, wrapping her slender arms around his waist. In return, he held her as tightly to his side as her stomach would allow.

"When we get home, remind me to polish off your Best Husband in the World award," she said brightly before kissing him on the cheek.

Attempting -- but failing miserably -- to be irritated with her, Troy muttered, "Suck up."

Gabriella's witty retort died in her throat as her eyes suddenly widened and began to frantically scan the ground around their feet. "Troy... where's Sophie?" Troy's mouth dropped open as he too searched the aisle they were standing in. Sophie was nowhere in sight.

"Uh oh," he said.

"Oh my goodness!" Gabriella started to panic. "Sophie? Sophie!?"

Troy grabbed her hand and together they combed to surrounding area, calling their daughter's name. After five minutes of fruitless hunting, Gabriella was beside herself. Inside his chest, Troy could feel his heart beating spastically against his ribs.

"What if she was kidnapped... right out from under our noses!? I'm the worst mother ever! Everyone will think I love living room furniture more than my own daughter!"

He gently massaged her shoulders to calm her down and, in spite of the crisis at hand, smiled a little when he felt her relax slightly under his ministrations. The weak smile quickly evaporated when she whimpered.

"Awww, baby. We'll find her. She has to be around here somewhere," Troy reasoned, wrapping his arms around her neck for a hug.

Turning around in his arms and inhaling deeply, Gabriella said in a surprisingly even tone, "Okay... if you were a three year-old girl, where would you go?"

"And you're asking the grown man?" Troy replied after shooting a look her way.

"Well, she's your daughter! Think!"

Sifting through his brain, Troy catalogued all of Sophie's likes and dislikes. She liked anything that was blue, which could include any number of things in the store so that didn't really help. She hated the smell of any perfume except Gabriella's, something that both her Grandmothers were all too aware of, which ruled out the cosmetics section. Sophie loved fish and could spend hours staring at the ones swimming around the tank in their living room. Unfortunately, there was no pet section in the store. Troy internally turned out a dozen more ideas, each of them as useless as the last; there were just too many possibilities in a store that size.

Sighing in defeat, he said, "This is hopeless."

"I know!" Gabriella cried. "We'll have to split up and look. You go..." Her instructions trailed off before they'd even begun as they came to a stop at the end of an aisle of kitchenware. Their daughter had just whizzed by them on a shiny pink tricycle, remarkably fast for the length of her tiny legs. Not only that but, but a fleece blanket covered in dolphins was tied around her neck like a cape, trailing along behind her across the shiny tiled floor. For the final touch, Sophie appeared to have gotten a hold of a blue marker. Her face and arms were covered in ink, reminding Troy, even in the midst of his shock, of a smurf.

"Oh. My. God," Gabriella breathed.

Both parents were too stunned by Sophie's appearance to immediately take off after her, giving her just enough time for a dramatic finish. As she pivoted in her seat to wave happily to her mother and father, a grin the size of Cleveland stretched across her sweet little face, Sophie lost sight of the path she was barrelling her tricycle down. With a resounding crash, she collided with a huge wall of shoes, still in their boxes, and brought them raining down around and on top of her. Seconds later, she had disappeared beneath a jumbled mountain of cardboard and sneakers.

"Oh. My. God!" Gabriella repeated, this time with a shrill edge of alarm. She and Troy darted down the aisle, keeping a fast pace with each other, towards the slowly shifting pile of merchandise that had consumed their daughter.

"Soph?" Troy called, tossing boxes and shoes aside with haste. "Sweetheart?"

Gabriella joined in with the digging. It took several minutes to wade through it all and pull Sophie, cape still intact, from the wreckage. Troy yanked her up into his arms and squeezed her tightly. She was bawling, unamused by getting buried in a landslide of footwear. Looking about ready to cry herself, Gabriella flung her arms around the pair of them, leaving Sophie wedged in between her parents.

"Don't ever do that to us again, Sophie!" she scolded. "You know better than that!"

With a pathetic sniff, Sophie quietly said, "I'm sorry, Mommy."

It was easy to see that Gabriella was trying to continue to be cross with her but was fighting a losing battle. She was just too happy to have found her child in one piece to stay mad. Not to mention that Sophie had inherited Troy's big blue puppy dog eyes. They had always been a weakness of Gabriella's.

"I know, sweetie. Just promise Mommy you'll never run off like that again," Gabriella requested with the last bit of sternness that remained in her.

Her eyes wide and watery, Sophie nodded. "Promise."

"Come here."

Gabriella held out her arms so Troy could pass Sophie over. The toddler practically lunged into her mother's embrace and Gabriella kissed her small cheek before letting their identical button noses rub together.

Although it damn near broke his heart to do so, Troy had to break up the adorable Kodak moment when he noticed a couple of uniformed employees heading in their direction. The sight of them quickly reminded him that he and his family were standing knee-deep in shoes that didn't belong to them.

"Um, honey?" he murmured slowly. "I think we should get out of here..."

"What?" Gabriella asked, confused. Troy directed her attention to the two men steadily drawing closer. "Oh! Right."

Just in the nick of time, the Boltons made themselves scarce, vanishing down the nearest aisle. They were almost to the other end when they heard a deep male voice swear loudly. Troy had a fair idea of who it might have been.

Chewing on the edge of her lip as she covered the squirming Sophie's ears to a stream of curses now sailing through the air, Gabriella glanced over her shoulder. "Maybe we should go back and help--"

"Babe..." Troy interjected, slipping an arm around her waist to hurry her along. "If we go back, they'll probably beat us to death with a pair of Nike trainers," he said gently.

The pregnant brunette looked like she wanted to say more but she kept silent for the moment, letting herself be pulled through the maze of shelves. People they rushed past stared at them, especially at Sophie who was still covered in marker.

Finally, the trio reached the glass doors to the parking lot of freedom, more commonly known as the exit. Just before they streaked through those doors which whooshed open automatically to accommodate them, Gabriella said, "I hope you realize that I'll be coming back for those end tables."

Scowling slightly, Troy just mumbled, "Yes, dear."


	6. The Great Costume Debate

**THE GREAT COSTUME DEBATE (STORY SIX) BY JESSA**

**RATING/GENRE:** K/Family, Humor

**FANDOM/PAIRING:** High School Musical/Troyella

**SUMMARY:** Another story in the Sophie series. Sophie's first Halloween takes an interesting turn.

**DISCLAIMER:** Troy and Gabriella are the property of good ol' Walt Disney. The only thing I made up is little Sophie Bolton.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Happy Halloween everyone! I wrote this short story on the fly in between passing out candy to all of the five kids that showed up at my door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Troy Bolton had never been a fan of Halloween. Only a select few knew the reasoning behind his holiday hatred but everyone who knew him was aware that asking Troy if he was going to celebrate Halloween was a sure way to be on the receiving end of a death glare and stony silent treatment. For the first few years of their relationship, Gabriella had been unable to wrestle a confession out of him as to exactly what his problem with October 31st was. It took two hours of consistent pleading and one Big Mac meal (with a toy!) to soften him up enough to tell her the traumatizing childhood tale which involved two of his older cousins, a clown costume and seven tubes of fake blood. After finally relaying the story to his significant other, a pact was made that she would never push the issue of Halloween again.

When their first daughter was born, Gabriella was fully prepared to go back on her word and beg Troy to take their little girl out trick or treating for the first time. Much to her surprise, there was no begging involved. Four days before Sophie's very first Halloween, whilst Gabriella was still plucking up the courage to approach the taboo subject of the upcoming holiday, Troy came home from work forty-five minutes later than usual with a shopping bag in hand and a dorky grin on his face.

"Honey, I'm home!" he quipped, pecking Gabriella on the cheek while she eyed him with a mildly bewildered expression on her face.

"So I see," she replied as she bounced their child on her hip. "What's with the bag?"

Before responding, Troy leaned over to kiss Sophie on the head, which made the little girl reach her arms out towards him in an indication that she wanted a turn in her father's arms after being deprived of him the entire day. Gabriella passed her over without hesitation and crossed her now empty arms under her chest as she waited patiently for his explanation.

"Its a costume... for Sophie."

His tone was aloof, giving the impression that the answer to her question was nothing out of the ordinary. Troy certainly hadn't been expecting the excited squeal that burst from his wife. Sophie was also a bit taken aback and hid her face in Troy's neck, safe from the strange noises her mother had suddenly started to made.

Swiftly gaining control of herself, Gabriella retrieved the paper bag from Troy's hand.

"Wow, baby! I never thought I'd be able to convince you to do this for Soph. Its so sweet that you'd put aside your own fear of Halloween to make her--"

The sentiment tapered off as the contents of the bag were revealed. In Gabriella's grasp, which was becoming steadily tighter with restrained surprise and frustration, was a tiny grey and black suit, a cape and hat that was shaped like a helmet with pointed ears. It was a mini Batman costume. Troy had bought their _daughter_ a mini Batman costume for her first Halloween.

When she'd pictured her child dressed up for the occasion, it had always been as a cat, a ballerina or hell, even a pumpkin! What she _hadn't_ pictured was a minute, supposed-to-be-male superhero.

"Isn't it _the coolest_ thing you've ever seen!?" Troy exclaimed. He seemed very proud of himself; his blue eyes were practically shimmering with enthusiasm. "I saw it in the window of a store during my lunch break and I knew right away that I _needed_ my kid to wear it."

Gabriella closed her eyes for a few seconds to maintain a sense of calm. When she opened them again, she half hoped the Batman costume would have disappeared so she wouldn't have to say anything that would wipe the goofy smile clean off her husband's face. Sadly fate was not on her side and the tiny suit remained, mocking her from its place in her own hand.

"Troy... you are aware that our child is in fact a girl, right?"

The point of her comment was lost on Troy. He tilted his head slightly to the side and, for a brief period, simply stared at her before catching on that she was searching for a verbal elaboration on his decision.

"So? Its not like you'll be able to tell under the mask," he said with a shrug.

"Do you want to confuse the neighbors? They're going to wonder why we suddenly have what appears to be a boy instead of the sweet, adorable baby girl we've been showing off at every opportunity for the past year," Gabriella pointed out.

Somehow her pessimistic attitude didn't seem to puncture Troy's confidence in his baby costume expertise.

"Naw, they'll all be jealous of my baby's mad crime fighting skills despite the fact that she is a mere mortal. Besides Batman's identity is supposed to be a secret. The gender curve ball will throw her enemies through a massive loop!" he insisted.

Though it was usually kept relatively hidden, Troy had major nerd-like tendencies that flared up further as he continued what he considered to be a compelling argument in favor of the Batman suit.

"Oh! I wonder if one of the neighbors will dress their children up as The Riddler or Catwoman... Maybe there will be a baby Two Face! Soph could _so_ take that baby who lives in number 12 if his parents dress him up as Two Face. I mean, a freaking coin up against a million dollar grappling hook and a tiny Batmobile? Puh-lease."

Gabriella blinked once. She blinked twice. Then she snorted in an arguably unattractive fashion before cracking up into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

You're... a regular dork... You know that right?" she managed between bouts of laughter. "And people used to call _me_ a nerd. If only the knew the truth about you."

An uneven yet swoon-worthy smile bloomed on Troy's handsome face at the sight of her amusement. There was a faint trace of smugness on his face, a result of how easily he'd been able to wear her down.

"Does this mean our little Batman is going to be defending the streets on All Hallow's Eve?" he prodded gently, subconsciously running his fingers through Sophie's short black curls. The small brunette was paying little attention to their exchange, more interested in watching the sun bounce off the walls and scatter in various directions.

An attempt was made to keep up a tough front, but in the end Gabriella had to admit defeat. It was a miracle in and of itself that Troy had even acknowledged Halloween's existence, let alone expressed a desire to take part in it. Plus it wasn't as if Sophie would realize the significance of her costume.

"My mother is going to kill me when she hears about this," she muttered to herself.

Meeting the imploring gaze of her beloved spouse, Gabriella sighed.

"In the interest of minimizing awkward conversations with the neighbors, can we at least refer to her Bat_girl_ instead of Bat_man_?"


End file.
